The Scottish Property Podcast

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with David Stewart — property investor, developer, and founder of My Local Property Buyer. David shares his journey from a career in civil engineering and commission-only sales to becoming one of Scotland’s most experienced direct-to-vendor specialists, flipping properties with six-figure profits and running a successful off-market property business.

From being made redundant multiple times to building a thriving property brand, David’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and integrity. He opens up about the realities of the quick-sale industry, the ethics behind vendor negotiations, and the lessons learned from fires, floods, and bankruptcies along the way.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 From Civil Engineering to Sales

• Grew up in the East End of Glasgow, born in Shettleston

• Chose a civil engineering apprenticeship over university

• Faced several redundancies during the 2007–2008 financial crash

• Transitioned into commission-only sales, learning resilience and people skills

• Worked in shopping centres selling gas and electricity contracts, then moved to Sky, excelling in telesales and leadership

🏡 Breaking into Property

• First exposure came through a quick-sale estate agency role

• Later joined a major auction and property buying company, learning the full process of valuations, negotiations, and acquisitions

• Developed strong communication and listening skills — the key to converting off-market leads

• Spent years understanding vendor motivations, negotiation strategies, and the ethics of buying directly

💼 Building My Local Property Buyer

• Founded My Local Property Buyer, specialising in direct-to-vendor deals across Scotland

• Balances multiple income streams — property flips, assisted sales, and sourcing fees

• Works with trusted partners including auction houses and ethical investors

• Operates with transparency, ensuring fair offers and honest communication with sellers

• Spends £1,500–£5,000 per month on online marketing to generate consistent off-market leads

🔥 Deals, Risks & Lessons

• North Berwick Flip: Purchased at £138k, valued at nearly double — discovered bankruptcy days before completion and navigated the legal and financial risks successfully

• Assisted Sale Fire Damage: A refurbishment project that caught fire due to a nearby caravan blaze — still turned a profit of over £20k and delivered a positive outcome for the seller

• Lanark Country House: Bought for £100k, invested £180k in refurbishment, expected to sell for £425k–£500k

• Kilmacolm Commercial Conversion: Transformed a former beauty salon into two luxury flats — exploring refinancing or serviced accommodation due to slower sales

⚖️ Ethics & Reputation in Quick Sales

• Strong focus on honesty and transparency with vulnerable sellers

• Condemns companies exploiting people in financial distress

• Works alongside trusted solicitors and partners like Michelle Wales to maintain professional integrity

• Believes small, fair profits build longer-term success and repeat business

• Encourages offering sellers multiple routes — direct sale, auction, or assisted sale

📈 Scaling & Strategy

• Portfolio of around 16 properties, including buy-to-lets, flips, and commercial-to-residential conversions

• Uses bridging finance, investor loans, and recycled profits to fund projects

• Works closely with business partner John, who manages refurbishments and trades

• Keeps operations lean, leveraging unencumbered assets for cash flow flexibility

• Balances short-term profits with sustainable business growth

💬 Mindset & Motivation

• Not motivated by flash or status — focused on family and freedom

• Values work–life balance after becoming a father

• Keeps a grounded lifestyle despite success — recently upgraded from his Ford Focus only for practicality

• Believes real success in property is built on patience, ethics, and persistence

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Michelle de Almeida — business coach, entrepreneur, and property investor. Michelle shares her inspiring journey from a 20-year career in hospitality and corporate management to building a thriving property portfolio and multiple successful businesses.

Growing up in a working-class family near Liverpool and Manchester, Michelle learned the value of hard work early on. After managing 67 pubs across Scotland for Wetherspoons and running her own restaurant in Portugal, a major health challenge led her to reassess her life and priorities. Today, she’s the founder of Lux Escapes UK and MDA Business, helping others achieve financial freedom and personal growth through property and coaching.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 From Humble Beginnings to Hospitality

• Growing up in Cheshire in a working-class family

• Building a strong work ethic from her parents’ example

• Spending over 20 years in hospitality, including six years running a restaurant in Portugal

• Managing 67 pubs as a Regional Manager for Wetherspoons before leaving corporate life

💼 Finding Purpose After Corporate Burnout

• Leaving her corporate role after a health setback and lack of support

• Becoming CEO of a Coca-Cola–funded non-profit in Dundee

• Helping thousands of women and micro-businesses out of poverty

• Transitioning naturally into business coaching and launching MDA Business

🏡 Entering the Property World

• Completing property training in January and buying her first property in April

• Partnering with her brother, Paul, who now manages over 40 viewings a month

• Focusing on Serviced Accommodation (SA) and Aparthotels as her main strategy

• Building a business model that generates high cash flow and long-term financial freedom

📈 Growth, Strategy & Challenges

• Setting a goal of 200 keys (units/beds) to achieve true financial independence

• Raising private capital with a minimum £100,000 investment threshold

• Avoiding small Buy-to-Lets in favour of scalable, cash-flowing SA units

• Overcoming one of her toughest weeks in property — losing a deal, investor, and remortgage all in one day

• Navigating short-term let licensing challenges in Scotland and rising council tax costs

💬 Mindset & Motivation

• Using multiple business and mindset coaches to stay focused and resilient

• Managing 12–14 hour workdays with energy and purpose

• Maintaining perspective through movement, conversation, and mindset work

• Planning future growth in St Andrews, Crieff, Montrose, and Cheshire

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In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Ev Foster, Regional Partner for Keller Williams Scotland. Ev shares her journey from being a stay-at-home mother of four to leading the growth of Keller Williams into a nationwide estate agency brand.

After facing financial struggles following a divorce, Ev explored franchising and traditional estate agency work before discovering the Keller Williams model. She explains how the self-employed agent model empowers individuals, provides flexibility, and delivers a more personal service to clients compared to the traditional estate agency model she believes is “broken.”

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🌟 From Mum to Entrepreneur

• Juggling life as a stay-at-home mother of four

• Facing financial pressure after divorce and needing to rebuild

• First steps into business with a ladies’ gym franchise and traditional estate agency work

🏡 Discovering Keller Williams

• Spotting the KW model as a low-cost, low-risk entry into self-employment

• Starting as a self-employed agent in 2017/2018

• Balancing financial independence with family flexibility

📈 Scaling with the KW Business Model

• Returning in 2020 to lead the Glasgow market center

• How KW provides training, support, and systems for agents to grow their own businesses

• Why she believes the traditional estate agency model is broken

• The rapid growth from zero to over 80 agents across Scotland

🚀 Keller Williams Scotland Today

• Achieving the five-year goal of becoming a separate region in January 2025

• Building a business that thrives in towns and villages, not just big cities

• Recruiting agents from non-traditional backgrounds

• Placing a strong focus on values, culture, and leadership development

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In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Elaine McLaren, chartered management accountant turned property investor. Elaine shares her journey from growing up in Scotstoun with early exposure to renovations, to leaving behind the corporate mould and building a portfolio designed to give her family more freedom and flexibility.

From watching Homes Under the Hammer to investing £15,000 in property training, Elaine reveals the importance of vision boards, long-term planning, and staying focused on why you started. She also opens up about her successes, lessons learned, and her evolving strategy — from building buy-to-lets to flipping properties and taking on HMOs.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 Early Influences & Corporate Life

• Growing up around property thanks to her father’s renovation projects

• Pursuing a corporate career as a chartered management accountant

• Realising she didn’t fit the corporate mould and wanting more flexibility

🏡 Getting Started in Property

• Inspired by a colleague with 13 properties and Homes Under the Hammer

• Investing £15,000 in training and waiting a year before buying her first deal

• Why she believes education was worth the investment

🎯 Building a Vision & Portfolio

• Setting her first goal: 12 properties to leave her job and focus on family life

• The power of vision boards to stay motivated and productive

• Growing her portfolio with her husband, including four properties in St Andrews

🔑 Lessons & Advice

• Do your due diligence before investing in training programmes

• When planning for retirement, set your financial target — then add two more properties

• Why involving your partner can strengthen your property journey

🚀 Current Focus & Future Plans

• Working on flips and managing an HMO

• Feeling like she’s “drifting” without a strong new vision

• Setting her next big goal: helping her husband retire so they can enjoy more holidays and freedom together

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Graham Reeves, digital marketing entrepreneur, property investor, and founder of an SEO agency that ranks number one for “SEO Glasgow.” Graham shares his journey from struggling with dyslexia at school and working as a chef, to building a thriving online business and scaling a growing buy-to-let portfolio.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 From Kitchen Chaos to Business Hustle

• Growing up in Newton Mearns and overcoming challenges with dyslexia
• Working his way up from dishwasher to chef before leaving hospitality
• Learning sales skills through commission-only work and early entrepreneurial ventures

💻 Building an SEO Business

• Why college proved valuable but university felt like “too much fluff”
• Starting in digital marketing and discovering SEO
• Scaling his SEO agency during Covid through Facebook ads and ranking #1 on Google
• Recruiting and managing a global remote team across South Africa, the Philippines, and Serbia
• Tips for hiring and retaining top overseas talent

🏡 Property Investing Journey

• Entering property in 2023 after realising the need to invest profits wisely
• First six properties: leaving £27,000 in each but gaining £300/month net cashflow
• Learning BRR strategies and sourcing portfolios through a solicitor
• Latest deal: six-property portfolio with £7,500 left in each unit, generating £2,000 net per month
• Why he believes portfolios are the way forward

🤖 AI & The Future of Business

• How AI is transforming SEO and content with Google’s AI overviews
• Using ChatGPT to build scrapers and source landlords with large portfolios
• Leveraging AI to analyse CRM data, Zoom calls, and sales patterns
• Why he believes trades and service jobs are safe, but knowledge work is rapidly changing

From hustling cigarettes in the schoolyard to launching a marketing agency during Covid, Graham explains how his entrepreneurial mindset has shaped both his business and property journey. He also opens up about investing in property after a period of overspending, his strategy for buying portfolios, and how he’s using AI to source deals and streamline his workflow.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Phillip Stewart, a property investor and professional property photographer. Phillip shares his journey from a passion for landscape photography to building a successful property media business – and how he’s now using that platform to grow his property portfolio.

Phillip talks about working with estate agents, developers, and investors, and explains why professional photography can make or break a property listing. He also opens up about the challenges of starting his own business during COVID, the importance of branding, and how photography has given him a unique advantage when sourcing and investing in property.

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🌟 From Passion to Profession

• Discovering photography at school and turning a hobby into a career

• Winning national and international awards in landscape photography

• Moving into property photography with McEwan Fraser Legal

🏡 Building a Property Media Business

• Gaining experience with estate agents before launching his own company

• Starting out during COVID while facing tough restrictions

• Growing a team of freelancers and scaling the business across Scotland

📸 Why Property Photography Matters

• How professional photos, videos, and floorplans boost sales and branding

• Case studies showing the difference high-quality marketing can make

• Breaking down packages, costs, and the value delivered to agents and investors

💬 Property Investing & Personal Growth

• Using his media business profits to buy his first rental property

• Training with Darren & Jillian Green and planning future HMOs and SA units

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Jemima Spence, founder of Kelvin Grove Property Sourcing and Jemima Renovates. Jemima shares her remarkable journey from a modelling and acting career to becoming a property entrepreneur – and the challenges she faced along the way.

After leaving her ex-partner’s property business and walking away from a large amount of money, Jemima had to rebuild from scratch. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched her own sourcing business, found her first clients, and began growing a company that now helps investors source and refurbish properties across Scotland.

Jemima opens up about resilience, starting over, and why bold design and branding have become her trademark in property.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌟 Career Transition & Starting Over

• From a successful career in modelling and acting to property investment

• Leaving her ex-partner’s business and choosing to start again from scratch

• Building confidence and resilience through personal and professional setbacks

🏡 Launching Kelvin Grove Property Sourcing

• Starting her own business during the COVID-19 pandemic

• How she found her first clients and attracted investors

• Structuring her sourcing and refurb management fees

🛠️ Design, Branding & Refurbs

• Why she believes in bold interiors that make properties stand out

• Lessons learned from challenging renovation projects

• Using social media and personal branding to grow trust and credibility

💬 Personal Life & Growth

• Walking away from financial security to protect her independence

• Balancing business growth with her personal journey after separation

• Her focus on building a meaningful business – and a meaningful love life

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Neil Dymock to break down the latest developments in the Scottish and wider UK property markets. From falling rents in Dundee to the impact of government taxes, Neil provides valuable insights for landlords, investors, and anyone keeping an eye on where the market is heading.

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🏘️ Dundee Rental Market

• Dundee rents are down 9.9% – the only Scottish city to see a drop

• Why Neil sees this as a market correction after rents became unaffordable

• Despite falling rents, yields for investors remain strong

🎓 Impact of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA)

• Growth of PBSA is reshaping Dundee’s HMO market

• Surplus of student accommodation, with more still being proposed

• Why foreign students prefer PBSA for flexibility and bundled costs

🏡 UK & Scottish Property Sales

• UK house prices: down 1.3% monthly, up 0.3% year-on-year

• Scotland outperforming the rest of the UK with 2.6% growth over 12 months

• Surge in Dundee first-time buyers boosting local demand

💰 Government Taxes & Policy

• LBTT (Land and Building Transaction Tax) as a major barrier to downsizing

• ADS (Additional Dwelling Supplement) at 8% deterring many small investors

• Record £714m in Scottish property tax revenue, with ADS contributing 31%

📊 Landlord Trends & Market Shifts

• One in three landlords considering exiting the market

• Private rental sector still growing, driven by professional portfolio landlords

• Self-managed landlords struggling with legislation, benefiting letting agents

⚖️ Potential New Tax – NI Contributions on Rental Income

• Government considering an 8% National Insurance levy on rental income

• Would apply to personally held properties, raising £2.18bn

• What this could mean for landlords and the wider market

The discussion covers everything from the growth of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and its effect on HMOs, to landlord trends, tax policy changes, and the possibility of a new National Insurance levy on rental income. This is a must-listen for anyone wanting to stay ahead in a rapidly changing property landscape.

In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven welcome back Caroline Claydon, who first appeared on the show in 2020. Since then, Caroline has transformed her property career, moving from HMOs and planning gain projects to building her own boutique aparthotel brand – the Archibald Hotel Collection.

Caroline shares the highs and lows of her journey – from overcoming £80,000 of debt in the 2008 crash, to creating multimillion-pound developments in Edinburgh. She opens up about the challenges of planning refusals, rogue contractors, and refinancing setbacks that “nearly broke her,” as well as the systems, AI tools, and design-led approach that now make her business stand out.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏁 From Debt to Property Success

• Losing her first business in the 2008 crash and facing £80,000 personal debt

• Investing £22,000 in mentorship despite fear – and making it back in her first deals

• Starting with social housing buy-to-lets before scaling into HMOs in Birmingham and Liverpool

🏨 Building the Archibald Hotel Collection

• Why she skipped serviced accommodation and went straight to aparthotels

• First deal: converting a B&B outside Liverpool into an 11-bed aparthotel, opening just as COVID hit

• Launching a boutique, staffless hotel brand named after her late dog, Archibald

🏗️ Edinburgh Projects – Triumphs & Challenges

• Stafford Street: buying a derelict office, battling vigilante opposition, tram contribution confusion, and a £1.5m refurb that resulted in a valuation just under £4m

• John’s Place: a painful townhouse project plagued by refused planning, a rogue contractor stealing materials, and lenders pulling funding – leaving her with £27k/month bills and severe burnout

🤖 Operations, Systems & AI

• Running staffless hotels with smart locks and digital guest access

• Using AI receptionists and chatbots to handle enquiries and bookings

• Dividing roles with her husband Nick – she leads acquisitions and development, he runs systems and operations

🛋️ Designing for Premium Value

• Why boutique, vintage interiors are core to her business model

• Working with designers to create unique looks that command higher rates

• Investing heavily in interiors (£170k on Stafford Street, £250k on John’s Place) to elevate guest experience

If you’ve ever thought about scaling into commercial conversions or boutique hospitality, this is an unmissable conversation.

In this episode, Nick and Steven sit down with Stephen O’Neill, founder of Newton Property Management, which now manages around 40,000 properties across Scotland. Stephen shares his fascinating journey from growing up in his family’s estate agency business, to launching and selling his own lettings company, and then scaling Newton into one of Scotland’s leading factoring businesses.

Known for his straight-talking approach, Stephen unpacks the challenges of reputation in the factoring industry, the realities of acquisitions, and the importance of culture in building a generational business. From surviving mistakes in early ventures to instilling a people-first ethos at Newton, this episode is packed with lessons in growth, resilience, and leadership.

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🏁 Early Lessons in Business

• Growing up around his father’s Glasgow estate agency

• Watching the family firm lose control after rapid expansion

• Key lessons on ownership, shareholding, and capitalisation

💼 From O’Neils to Newton

• Founding O’Neils Lettings in 1995 and hustling for growth

• Selling the business in 2000 for ~£750k

• Why factoring, with its long-term recurring revenue, became his focus

📊 Scaling Newton Property Management

• How Newton grew to 40,000 properties and ~85 staff across 4 offices

• The “30/30/30” profit model that funded growth and acquisitions

• Buying competitors at rising multiples – and why Newton is “not for sale”

🏠 Factoring, Reputation & Regulation

• Why factoring has a bad public image and how Newton tackles it

• Robust credit control and chasing arrears through debt collection/legal routes

• Calls for stricter regulation and annual audits of client accounts

• Challenges with under-resourced tribunals

🌍 Culture, Leadership & Vision

• Returning from Bali to rebuild service quality after rapid growth

• Creating a people-first company culture: loans, therapy, office lunches, stocked fridges

• His ambition for Newton to be “the best employer in the country”

📈 Market Views & Next Steps

• Why Stephen is bullish on Aberdeen and sees “Park Circus prices” potential

• Reflections on being a manager, not a landlord

• Balancing growth ambitions with the goal of running a generational business

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